HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Academic Progress Rates (APR) for the 2011-12 academic year for all Southern Miss student-athletes were released Tuesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The APR, now in its ninth year, is a real-time measure of eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing on every Division I sports team. The most recent APR scores are based on a multiyear rate that averages scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years.

Of the 16 sports programs at Southern Miss, 14 of the squads ranked above 950 with a high of 1000 by the men's golf program for their multiyear rate. The team received public recognition by the NCAA last week as one of 56 men's golf programs to be recognized by the organization for their outstanding achievements in the classroom.

The next highest squad was the volleyball program at 995, followed by the men's tennis program at 993 and women's cross country program at 989.

The APR is based on each student-athlete having the opportunity to earn two points during each regular academic term of full-time enrollment (e.g., fall semester). One point is awarded if the student-athlete is academically eligible to compete the following regular academic term (or has graduated). The other point is awarded if the student-athlete returns to the institution as a full-time student the next regular academic term or graduates from the university. The APR is calculated by adding all the points earned by the student-athletes over the past two academic years and dividing that number by the total possible points that could have been earned. That number is then multiplied by 1,000.

"We are exceptionally proud of the academic performance of our Student-Athletes as reflected by the outstanding APR scores of all 16 of our Southern Miss athletic teams who successfully met and exceeded NCAA academic requirements," said Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeff Hammond. "We take great pride in the academic success of our Student-Athletes as it is at the center of the core values of what we aspire to achieve in Southern Miss Athletics."

Other multiyear rates for Golden Eagle sports included 988 for women's soccer, 984 for baseball, 977 for both indoor and outdoor women's track and field, 967 for women's tennis, 964 for women's golf and women's basketball, 959 for both softball and men's indoor track and field. Men's outdoor track posted a 951, while football was at 942 and men's basketball posted a 929.

Under the revised penalty structure, the Division I Board of Directors has set a cut score of 900 (out of 1000) as a threshold for teams to meet or face possible sanctions. That cut score will increase to 930 in the next few years. An APR of 930 projects a 50 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR).

The goal of the NCAA's academic performance program is improvement, not punishment. Not only does the program ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams and institutions, but also it provides fairness by considering individual circumstances per team and school.